The irony of the drought
The reader finds it satirical that a man in his right senses plays for a drought instead of asking for the rains to continue. Over the years, rain has been associated with blessings because water is life. Ironically, the man interviewing Bella is praying for a drought year. The man says, "Even with this rain we are having, it seems like it is going to be a drought year, a year that all we need."
The irony of Anshel
Besides having the ability to use his literacy skills to entertain the camp commander, Anshel does not get his freedom. Anshel is not treated in any special way by other camp detainees. Anshel is mistreated, and the Nazis try to kill him, but he escapes the trap.
The irony of the history of the holocaust
While growing up, Momik wanted to know the meaning of the phrase 'Over there,' which was commonly used by the Jews to imply the mayhem of the Nazi regime. Paradoxically, after listening to his grandfather's stories and experiences about the holocaust, Momik feels worse. The author says that the older man's stories sent Momik into convulsions of trepidation.
The irony of suicide
The reader finds it sardonic that some people believe that suicide offers solutions to current or future problems. In the novel, the theme of suicide is rampant. For instance, Neigel kills himself because his wife leaves him. The reader wonders if Neigel has solved his problem because it is apparent that suicide is an impromptu decision that does not solve any problem.
The irony of the ambulance driver
The ambulance driver assumes that the Jews are lazy people, but Bella disapproves of him. The assumption that Bella and her relatives are idle people is sarcastic because Jews are among the most hardworking people. The author writes, "Bella said to him, sure, what did you expect, nobody’s is home, because these people are not parasites, these people work plenty hard for their bread, morning to night they’re working in the lottery booth to stream down.”
